Monday, July 1, 2013

Pirates, Prom, Camp, & A Birthday

Twenty years of losing. That's what I've had to live with as a Pittsburgh Pirates fan. The Pirates teased their fans the past couple of years, finally showing that they could be competitive through at least half a season, before the bottom fell out and the team collapsed and fell out of contention, and worse, finished with a losing record. This year, they're teasing us again, but with a lot more competitiveness, and they lead the majors in wins at the halfway point of the season. Will they be able to hold on? Will they actually make it into the playoffs?? Will they finish with a winning record??? I sure hope so. But I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop. I also can't believe my Pirates have the most wins in MLB!

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My daughter and I are watching HAPPY DAYS. This episode is from Season One, and Richie has broken up with his girlfriend just before the Junior prom. He decides not to go, but changes his mind, but then can't find a date. He decides to ask his ex if she wants to ride with him to the prom, since she's going anyway, and she agrees. Richie is miserable all evening, but his ex is having a great time dancing with every guy at the prom, everyone except, as Richie notes, the janitor and him. However, later Richie and the girlfriend get back together and all is right in the world again.

I always wanted to be like Richie, but I never had nearly the luck with women that Richie seems to have, even when he couldn't get a date. I guess being best friends with the Fonz has some advantages. I never had a friend like the Fonz, though, and I didn't even go to my prom. I didn't know who I would ask, since most of the girls I liked either had boyfriends, dates, both, or I figured wouldn't be interested in me. I'm not sure whether I missed out or lucked out by not going. At least I didn't have to rent a tux. But did I miss out? I don't know. I really didn't feel like it at the time. But I'll always wonder, I guess.

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Melody's first day of camp was a roaring success. She told me she had such a great day that it explains why she couldn't get to sleep last night (almost midnight!). She was just too excited. She is doing the Outdoor Exploration specialty and said she saw a "black and silver" snake during their hike. It rained off and on all day, but it didn't dampen her spirits. She loves her counselors and she had a blast. The only negative on the day was that she left her swimsuit at her grandparent's, but Grandma came by early this morning to deliver it before camp started.

One of the counselors told me I should take off from work and just hang out at camp all day. I had to laugh...how much fun would that be? A heck of a lot more fun than work, that's for sure.

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Even though her birthday was this past Saturday, we celebrated my sister's birthday this evening with dinner out and a little party at Mom & Dad's house. She decided she wanted to go to Jerry's Seafood Restaurant in Bowie. Interestingly, the bar was very crowded, but the dining room was not. In fact, it was practically empty. Before we were seated, we glanced at the menu and saw the prices. Nothing was less than around $25! That was enough to scare us out of the place, and we went Friday's to eat, instead. I don't eat at Friday's very often, so their menu is always a surprise. I had the salmon and shrimp scampi, with vegetables and tomato & mozzarella salad. It was very good. They only negative is something I haven't been able to figure out when getting shrimp: Why do restaurants serve shrimp with the shell on? How inconvenient is that? I hate having to work for my meal.

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And, with that, it's time to close out another day. Have a great evening, everyone!

Howard County Blogger

Joe Versus The Volcano

Go Terps!

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Here We Go, Steelers....!

Favorite Quotations

Matthew 16:23 - "But he turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.'"

Isaiah 41:10 - "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

1 Peter 5:10 - "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

1 Thessalonians 4:13 - "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope."

Titus 2:7-8 - "In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."

John 15:13 - "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Joshua 24:15 - "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

James 1:2-4 - "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

Luke 2:14 - "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

"Don't judge a man by where he is, because you don't know how far he has come." - C.S. Lewis

"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence." - George Washington

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." - Albert Einstein

"You don't lead by hitting people over the head -- that's assault, not leadership." -- Dwight D. Eisenhower

"The future starts today, not tomorrow." -- Pope John Paul II

"No man is a failure who has friends." - Clarence the Angel, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

"Please watch out for each other and love and forgive everybody. It's a good life; enjoy it." - Jim Henson